THE JOURNAL
Pea Tartine at Petit Trois. Photograph by Capra Photography, courtesy of Petit Trois
Three sporty Style Council members share their favourite dining spots. Find out what Messrs Robbie Rogers, Dwyane Wade and David Millar eat on their day off.
In order to be an elite sportsman today, you have to make a few sacrifices. And by a “few sacrifices”, we actually mean: stop doing everything fun in the world, ever, until you retire. Yes – gone are the good old days when footballers could have a smoke at half-time (Mr Johan Cruyff’s game never seemed to be affected), and stay up all night, because things are a little bit different in 2016. Skill levels are sky-high, investment in sport is astronomical, and science has taught us that many of our favourite habits are probably best to be avoided. Consequently, if athletes don’t take an obsessive approach to fitness and diet, they can forget it, and get a normal job like the rest of us.
All this naturally leads us to imagine that pro sportsmen exist on a diet of green liquids and mega protein. And to assume that after completing their intensive exercise routines, they have no time left to socialise, save from posting said regime on so-called “social” media. But guess what? They do have time, and indeed some fun outside of their field, it seems – and we have proof.
On our Style Council are three sportsmen who have all performed at the very top of their game. And here, they reveal their favourite restaurants what they like to eat there. Read on to discover how to eat like an athlete. Sort of.
MR ROBBIE ROGERS
LA Galaxy football star
Petit Trois. Photograph by Capra Photography, courtesy of Petit Trois
Petit Trois, Los Angeles
As a winger for LA Galaxy since 2013, Mr Robbie Rogers (who announced he was a father earlier this year) is somewhat of an expert on LA’s best dining spots. And this, an authentic bistro set up by French chef, pop-up impresario and TV personality Mr Ludo Lefebvre, is his favourite. With bar-dining only and a menu that offers everything from steak frites to escargots, Petit Trois is about as French as you’ll find in the City of Angels.
MR DAVID MILLAR
Cyclist
Can Boix in Girona. Photograph courtesy of Can Boix
Can Boix, Girona
Located in Girona, the town that one-time Tour de France stage winner Mr David Millar now calls home, Can Boix is a traditional yet elegant Spanish restaurant in rustic settings – surrounded by mountainous hills that put even the pro cyclist through his paces (when he elects to ride here). There is a set menu that changes daily, but Mr Millar swears by, “a selection of tapas to start, followed by the fillet with a port or ratafia sauce.”
MR DWYANE WADE
Chicago Bulls basketball player
Portillo’s in Chicago. Photograph courtesy of Portillo’s
Portillo’s, Chicago
As a professional basketball player and the current all-star guard for the Chicago Bulls, you might expect a player of Mr Dwyane Wade’s stature (in both senses of the word), to have a diet rich in protein and carbs. And, if his choice of restaurants revealed on the Style Council is anything to go by – you’d be correct. One of his go-to hangouts is this retro Chicago street-food joint, which offers burgers, chilli, and Chicago classic hot dogs – replete with relish and celery salt. Mr Wade, obviously wary of the guiltier side of the dishes, says: “I love Portillo’s, but I cannot eat it often”. We wish we could display similar restraint…